Art of attaching terminals to electric conductors



March 22, 1960 K. H. ANDREN ART OF ATTACHING TERMINALS T0 ELECTRICCONDUCTORS Filed Oct. 17, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

ATTOZ/VEYJ March "22, 1960 K. H. ANDREN ART OF ATTACHING TERMINALS TOELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Filed Oct. 17, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 :6 v u NINVENTOh March 22, 1960 Filed Oct. 17, 1958 K. H. ANDREN ART OFATTACHING TERMINALS TO ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS l A N 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March22, 1960 ANDREN 2,929,433

ART OF ATTACHING TERMINALS TO ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Filed Oct. 1'7, 1958 5sheetsfsheet 4 INVENTOR.

wwzmew ATTORNEYS March 22, 1960 K. H. ANDREN ART OF ATTACHING TERMINALSTO ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Filed Oct. 17, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 v INVENTOR.

Mafia/dea A770 AEYS ART OF ATIACG TERMINALS ELECTRIC QONDUCTORS Karl H.Andrea, West Allis, Wis., assignor to Artos Engineering Company,Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 17,1958; Serial No. 767,899,

8 Claims. c1. 153-1 This invention relates generally to improvements inthe art of producing electric current conductors each having a terminalattached to at least one end thereof, and it relates more specificallyto an improved method of an apparatus for attaching individual socketedterminals to the ends of elongated conductors or wires.

The primary object of the present invention is to pro vide an improvedmethod of rapidly and effectively attaching tubular terminals to theends of elongated cur rent conductors such as metallic wires.

Many different methods and mechanisms for producing electricalconductors each having an attaching terminal secured to one or both ofthe extreme ends of a wire, have heretofore been proposed and usedcommercially. In most cases, the terminals have been formed of flatsheet metal strips with the successive flattened terminals laterallyinterconnected by reduced portions adapted to be severed or broken so asto separate each terminal from the supply strip while the terminal isbeing fastened to an end of a conductor. This procedure was quitesatisfactory when applying such fiat terminals to the conductor ends,but for certain types of work, it is desirable to have the terminalsformed of tubular stock with each terminal having an open end socketwithin which the end of the conductor must be inserted axially of thetube and subsequently clamped therein. This difference in terminalformation requires an entirely different method of feeding and attachingthe tubular terminals to the conductors than was heretofore utilizedwhen applying the flat laterally united terminals .to the wire ends.

It therefore an important object of this invention ttoprovide a simplebut highly efficient method of applying and clamping tubular terminalshaving open end sockets to the ends of elongated conductors such aswires,

with utmost precision.

Another important object of the invention is to provide improvedmechanism for effecting rapid and effec- ,proved method.

These and other more specific objects and advantages ltive terminalattachment in accordance with the imreference characters designate thesame or similar parts in the various views. g t

Fig. l is a side view of an electric motor driven relatively portableunit for carrying on the several steps of presentim roved method ofterminal attachment;

wFig'JZ is a pa'rt sectional top 'elevation,.the section betaken alongthe line of Fig. '1, showing the normal starting and stopping positionand with a terminal gripped in the tools ready to receive a wire end;

Fig. 2a is a section similar to that of Fig. 2, taken along the line2a-2a of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged section through the terminal applyingand attaching zone of the unit, similar to the section shown in Fig. 2,but with a wire W inserted into the terminal M and the machine juststarting a new cycle, and showing the crimping tools in action;

Fig 4 is a part sectional front view of the terminal attaching unit, thesection having been taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1, and the detailedshowing of the chain drive having been omitted;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of theupper portion of the unit in which theterminal applying zone and crimping mechanism are located; I

Fig. 6 is enlarged fragmentary and part sectional View taken verticallyand centrally through the terminal supply'and positioningmechanism ofthe unit, and showing a tubular terminal in position preparatory tobeing injected into the attaching zone;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 6 but showing the initiallypositioned terminal engaged by the injecting plunger;

Fig. 8 is a top view of the terminal injecting mechanism positioned asin Fig. 7; and I Fig. 9 is a greatly enlarged side elevation of a pairof complementary tubular male and female terminals separated butattached to fragments of the attached wires.

While the improved apparatus has been shown and described herein ashaving been embodied in an electric motor driven relatively portablebench type machine into which the successive wires are manuallyinserted, it is not intended to limit the invention to this specifictype of unit; and it is also contemplated that specific descriptiveterms employed herein be given the broadest possible interpretationconsistent with the actual disclosure.

As indicated hereinabove, the gist of the present invention involves animproved method of attaching a tubular or socketed terminal to an end ofan elongated current conductor such as a strandedwire, by initiallyinjecting the terminal axially of'its socket and with the open socketforemost in onedirection into an attaching zone to locate and hold theterminal end in precise position centrally and longitudinally relativeto the clamping dies, by subsequently gathering the strands andinserting'an end of the wire axially of the terminal socket but in theopposite direction intothe prepositioned open socket end, and by finallypermanently fastening the terminal socket to the inserted wire endwithinthe attaching zone while the terminal is free from anyinfiuence whichmight distort'the terminal or cause imperfect attachment of theterminal. In order to expedite the exploitation of the improved methodwith utmost precision,

the initially injected tubular terminal should be yieldingly heldagainst its locating means while the crimpers function to radially clampsame, after which the injecting device will be withdrawn, and theholding force should also be utilized but augmented to effect the finalattachment of the terminal, While provision should also be made topromptly deliver the completed conductors from the zone.

for locating each terminal "in proper position with ur- Patented Mar.22, 1%50 most precision, means within this zone for frictionally holdingthe injected terminals while the injection means is being withdrawn,means for gathering and guiding successive stranded wires while beingaxially inserted in the opposite direction into the sockets of thefrictionally-held terminals within the attaching zone, means foractuating the terminal holding means to clamp the terminals to theinserted wire ends, and power means for driving the various terminalfeeding and attaching mechanisms.- The tubular terminals may be eitherof the type M or of the complementary type F shown in detail in Fig. 9,and each of these terminal types is provided with an open end socket Swithin which the stripped end of an insu lated multi-strand wire W isinsertable and adapted to be clamped or crimped.

The improved terminal attaching unit may be driven by an electric motorthrough a chain drive which is adapted to rotate a horizontal powershaft 11 haying a worm 12 keyed thereto, see Figs. 1, 2 and 4.. .Theworm 12 drives a Worm wheel 13 which is bolted to a clutch driving plate14 and a bushing 15 is pressed firmly within the plate 14 and worm wheel13 so that when the main clutch is disengaged, the clutch driveassemblage is freely rotatable about an upright shaft 16. The clutchbody 17 is firmly secured by a key to the shaft 16 directly above thedrive plate 14 and a spring loaded clutch pin 18 is disposed within anupright groove in the body 17. The spring coacting with the clutch pin18 slightly away from the rack bar.27 when this bar is in its extremeposition toward the right as viewed in Fig. 5, for reasons to be laterexplained. The rack bar 27 coacts with and simultaneously transmitsrotary motion to two parallel pinion shafts 32 as shown in Figs. 1 2, 4and 5 which also serve to reciprocate a pair of racks 34 shown in Fig. 4back and forth in opposite directions relative to the terminal attachingzone of the unit. The terminal holding and crimping head, which islocated within this fixed zone, is symmetrical relative to its verticalcentral plane, except for the presence of a wire knockout 33, asillustrated in Fig. 4.

Four tool holders 35 each carrying an identical crimping tool 36 areslidable radially in milled grooves in the tends to force this pinagainst the adjacent surface of the clutch plate 14; and this plate isprovided with a slot of somewhat greater width than that of the pin 18so that whenever the plate 14 is rotating, the clutch pin will drop intothis slot unless the pin is otherwise restrained, and will thus engagethe clutch to rotate the upright shaft 16. 1

The main clutch is adapted to be disengaged by a jackknife lever 19, theswinging end of which is constantly urged toward a horizontal annulargroove in the body 17 by a tension spring 20 as depicted in Figs. 2 and4; but an electricsolenoid 21, when energized, is operable to pull theknife lever 19 out of this groove. The swinging end of the knife lever19 is chamfered to correspond with the inclined surface at mid-portionof the clutch pin 18, and when the lever 19 is riding in the clutch bodygroove and the clutch is engaged, the clutch pin 18 will be retractedand lifted out of the slot in the clutch plate 14 whenever it engagesthe chamfered end of the lever 19. The drive plate 14 will then continueto rotate, but since the clutch is disengaged, the clutch body 17 andthe shaft 16 to which it is keyed will stop. However, by momentarilyenergizing the solenoid 21, the main clutch may again be engaged torotate the shaft 16.

Located above the upright shaft 16 is a horizontal cam shaft 22, whichis journalled for rotation in a gear box 23 secured to and supported bythe main clutch housing. The cam shaft 22 is drivingly connected at itsmidportion to the upper end of the upright shaft 16 by intermeshingbevel gears as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, while both ends of this shaftproject outwardly beyond the box 23 as in Fig. 1. One of the projectingshaft ends carries a small plate cam 24 which functions to operate aknockout for the final conductors produced by the unit, while theopposite protruding shaft end carries a pair of conjugate disk cams 25for operating the terminal crimping mechanism and also carries a barrelcam 26 for operating the terminal transfer mechanism. A rack and pinionassembly is also mounted upon the gear box 23 as illustrated in Figs. 4and 5 and positive movement in both directions is imparted to the rackbar 27 from the conjugate earns 25 by a cam lever 28.

The cam lever 28 is connected to the: rack bar 27 by an ad usting stud29 and plunger 30 which is spring-loaded by a stilf compression spring31 as depicted in Fig. 5. The initial portion of the rack movement istransmitted through the spring 31 since the plunger 3i! is spaced box 23disposed 90 degrees apart, and are retained in the grooves by gibs,andthese tool holders 35 are simul taneo-usly movable in oppositedirection by links and levers connected to the racks 34 as depicted inFig. 4 which also provide a toggle action for effecting final crimpingof the terminal sockets S to the inserted ends of the stranded wires W.A pair of funnel-shaped guides 37 for properly gathering the strands andfor inserting the ends of the wires W into the sockets S of thesuccessive terminals M injected into the attaching zone, are alsoprovided, and these guides 37 are slidable in alined grooves formed inthe rack cover 38 and inthe guide cover 39-secured thereon within whichhelical compres sion springs 40 reacting against pins 41 are confined,thus spring-loading these guides 37 and urging them toward each other. H

A pin 42 secured to'each wire guide 37 is adapted to engage an endsurface of the rack cover 39 to limit the travel of the guides towardeach other and to insure proper axial alinement of the wire guidingsurfaces with the terminal sockets. These pins'42 project inwardlysomewhat beyond the inner surfaces of the guides 37 so that when theracks 34 are retracted, the ends of these racks will engage the pins andforce the wire guides apart against the springs 40. The wire kn0ckout 33is swing able about a pivot shaft 43 and derives its swinging motionfrom the disk cam 24 carried by the shaft 22 through linkage and a leverwhich is urged against the cam surface by a tension spring as clearlyshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

The terminal supply and feed mechanism is best illustrated in Figs. 5,6, 7 and 8, and is operable by the barrel cam 26 and a lever 44 coactingat one end with the cam groove as in Figs. 1 and 2. The medial portionof the lever 44 is pivoted on the box 23, and the opposite swinging endthereof is connected by a link 45 to a reciprocable crosshead 46. Thecrosshead 46 is fastened to a square longitudinally movable slide 47which serves to produce rectilinear motion of the crosshead and thelatter also reciprocates an elongated spring-loaded terminal transferrod 48. In Fig. 6, the transfer rod 48 is shown in fully retractedposition with a terminal M do posited in front of the road end ready tobe picked up and injected into the terminal attaching zone between thetools 36. When the transfer rod 48 is advanced by the cam 26, lever 44and crosshead 46, the end of the terminal M remote from its socket S,will enter. a counterbore in the leading rod end and while the terminalis being i inserted into same as in Fig. 7, and is backed up against astop lever, 50, and further forward movement of the crosshead 46 iscompensated for by a spring 49 interposed between the crosshead and acollar attached to the rod 48 and which embraces the latter. Thecomplete insertion of the end of each terminal M within the endcounterbore of the rod 48 is thus assured without subjecting theterminals to excessive end pressure. p

The stop lever 50 is swingably suspended from a pivot pin 51,.and a coilspring 52 coacts with the lever and constantly tends to make it inactiveas a terminal stop but is prevented from doing so by a plate 53 attachedto the square slide 47. Any forward movement of the slide j beyond theposition shown in Fig. 7, enables the pring 52 to raise th adjacentendofwthe' levers taneo'usly lower the oppos'itqiever end sufi'ic fly topermit the rod 48 to' continue its movement and to inject'the engagedterminal M in one direction into the attaching zone and with its socketportion S properly positioned relative to the four holding and crimpingtools 36. when a terminal M has been thus properly positioned; and' ispressed by spring 49 against the inside face of the wire guides 37, theterminal M will be frictionally grasped by the tools 36 as will belaterexplained, and thetr'ansfer rod 48 must then be retractedimmediately int the p' o'sijtion shown in Fig. 2, and the socketed endof the properly positioned and temporarily held terminal will be locatedagainst the closed wire guides 37 so that the end of a wire W may beinserted in the opposite direction into the terminal socket, and a newcycle started. r r 7 A The successive tubular terminals M are stackedendwise upon each other within an upright feed tube 54 carried by thebox 23 and the lower end of which is corr'n nunicatbie with a curvedguideway for transferring the terminals from vertical to horizontaldisposition in front of the rod as, see Figs. 6 and 7. The lowermostterminal M oftlie stack normally rests on the shelf or shuttle blade 56as in Figs. 2, 7 and 8. The shuttle blade 56 is actuated by a spring 57tending to urge it forwardly and is activated in reverse direction by aset screw 58 carried by the plate 53, and is also located beneath alatch 55 which has a siot 55' through which the terminals M pass as inFig. 7. When the slide 47 begins its forward movement, the plate 53 andset screw 58" will advance forwardly thus erms ting the spring 57 tomove the shuttle blade 56 forwardly so as to close the terminal feedopening beneath the tube 54, and as this forward movement continues, thepin 59 carried by theblade 56 engages the rear ofthe springpressed latchblade 55 and urges it forward so as to release the now lowermostterminal M of the stack to drop upon the lower blade 56. This latch 55is normally spring pressed against a pin59 extending upwards from theshuttle blade 56 and is so located that when the latch 55 is actuated,the inside edge of the slot'55' will clamp the terminal M resting uponthe lowermost terminal M against the inside of the tube 54, thus freeingthe lowermost terminal M whenever shuttle blade 56 is withdrawn. Duringthe return stroke of the slide 47, the latch blade 55 will again clampthe terminal M in the feed tube 54 in position, and immediatelythereafter, the shuttle blade 56 wiil be withdrawn to allow the terminalM resting thereon to drop freely by gravity along the arcuate guide intoproper position to be picked up by the transfer rod 48. With the motor10 operating but while the main clutch has been disengaged by the lever19, the unit has stopped with the elements in the position shown inFigs. 2, 4 and 5 with the wire guides 37 closed and the crimping tools36 frictionally holdin a terminal M under pressure from the spring 31acting upon the rack 27. The terminal trans fer rod 48 has started itsreturn stroke after releasing the terminal to the tools 36, and thestripped end of a wire W may then be inserted through the closed wireguides 37 into the socket S of the frictionally held terminal M. Thesolenoid 21 may then be energized with the aid of a foot-actuated switchor the like, to cause the knife lever 19 to be pulled out of the groovein the'clutch body 17, thereby permitting the clutch pin 18 to drivinglyengage the clutch plate 14 and to thereby rotate the upright shaft 16and the upper horizontal shaft 22 through the interconnecting bevelgears.

Asthe shaft 22 is thus rotated, the cams 25 pass the dwell section asshown in Fig. 5, and the spring 31 is further compressed until theplunger 30 contacts the rack bar 27 and this bar continues to move untilthe tools 36 are fully closed by toggle action, after which the crimpingtools 36 separate and the wire guides 37 also begin to separate or open.All of these movements are effected by the conjugate disk cams 25mounted upon the shaft e 22' nia'caanifig'wita the s n prank 1e e2" a nthe, t ools,36 andthe wire'guides" 37 have been separatedsu'rficiehitly, the camdisk 24 becomes effective to swing the knockout33'downwardly so as to positively eject the completed conductor and tosubsequently eturn the knack. out to mac e position. While the finaladvancement and subsetiu 1r separation of the tools 36 and guides 37andrernoval of a finished conductor by the kneckout 33 is beingeffected, the drum cam 26 c'oa'cting with theteve 44, link 45, andcrosshead 46 returns the rod ,48 thereby causing the shelf 56 to dropanother terminal M at the end of the return stroke of rod 48, as showr fin Fig. ,6. Then while the crimping tools 36 and the wire guide 37havest'arte'd to closeagain, the now advancing rod 48 picks up andinjects the new terminal M into the attachnone, holding said terminalwith spring pressure by springer? against the insides of guides 37,and'th'e tobls 36 continue to move inwardly so as to frictionally engagetheinjected and properly positioned terminal M, while the rod 48retracts and the machine stops. During this stop page of the machine,the momentary frictional holding of the terminal M within the attachingzoneis eifected by the spring 31 coacting with the plunger 30 of therack assemblage 27 shown in Fig. 5, and after' thetools136 have engagedthe terminal socket S, thecam-actuated lever 28 dwells. A w 7 Afteranother wire W has been inserted within the socket S, the clutch isagain tripped by'the solenoid 21 and the lever 28 starts to move inorder to cause the tools 36 to firmly crimp the terminal to the wireend. The rod 48 of the transfer mechanism thereafter continues itsreturn stroke to pick up another terminal M as showrr in Fig. 6, and todeliver it to the tools 36 and the operating cycle willbe repeatedagainf r 1 c From the foregoing detaileddescription of the con;struction and functioning of the terminalattaching' unit, it will beapparent that this unit provides simple b'u't eifective mechanism forquickly carrying on the succes; sive steps of the present improvedmethod with t precision. The relatively delicate tubular terminals whichare shown greatly enlarged in Fig. 9.rnay be either of the type M at theleft or of the type F at the right, since the abovede scribed mechanismwill function equally well when handling either'of'th'ese types, and thew e stock is composed of numerous strands which arega i ered by theguides for proper insertion with'iri the terminal sockets. When themachine is operating, the stop lever 50 functions to properly positionthe terminals M within the end of the rod 48, and the guides 37 properlylocate the terminals within the attaching Zone, as well as locate andguide the wire strands into the terminals, while the knockout 33positively removes the final conductor without bending or marring thesame. The various parts of the improved machine are also convenientlyadjustable so as to insure accurate performance, and the invention hasgone into highly satisfactory and successful operation for theproduction of diverse types of conductors having tubular terminals M orF secured to wires W as in Fig. 9.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this inventionto the exact steps of the method or to the precise details of theapparatus shown, for various modifications within the scope of theappended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. The method of attaching a socketed terminal to an end of an elongatedmulti-strand current conductor, which method comprises, projecting eachterminal axially in one direction into and holding the terminal withinan attaching zone, gathering the end strands and threading the gatheredend of the wire axially in the opposite direc tion within the socket ofthe held terminal within said zone, thereafter augmenting the holdingforce to clamp the terminal socket to the inserted wire end, and finallyreleasing and knocking the completed conductor laterally from-within theattaching zone. v

2. The method of attaching successive socketed termi- :nals to ends ofelongated current conductors, which method comprises, projecting eachindividual terminal axially in one direction into and holding theterminal within an attaching zone, threading an end of the wire axiallyin the opposite direction within the socket of the held terminal withinsaid zone, thereafter augmenting the initial holding force to clamp theterminal socket to the inserted wire end, and finally releasing andknocking the completed conductor laterally from within the attachingzone.

3. Apparatus for attaching a tubular terminal to an end of a strandedWire, a reciprocable rod having an end for injecting the terminalaxially in one direction into an attaching zone, a set of tools operableto frictionally hold the injected terminal in a fixed position withinsaid zone, guides operable to gather the end strands of a wire insertedtherebetween in the opposite direction and to thread the gatheredstrands into the terminal within said zone, and means for actuating saidtools to clamp the terminal to the inserted wire end.

4. Apparatus for attaching a tubular terminal to an end of a wire, meansfor injecting the terminal axially in one direction into an attachingzone, means for frictionally holding the injected terminal in definiteposition withintsaid zone, means for guiding the end of awire in theopposite direction into the tubular end of'the held terminal within saidzone, means for actuating said terminal'holding means to finally clampthe terminal to the inserted wire end, and a knockout device forpositively removing the completedterminal and wire assem blage laterallyfrom withinsa attaching zone.

5. Apparatus for attaching a tubular terminal to an end of a wire, areciprocable rod having an end for injecting successive terminalsaxially in one direction into an attaching zone, a set of tools operableto frictionally hold each injected terminal in fixed position withinsaid zone, guides operable to conduct the end of a wire insertedtherebetween in the opposite direction into the tubular end of theterminal within said zone, means for actuating said tools to finallyclamp the terminal to the inserted wire end, and a devicev forposilively removing the wire and terminal assemblage laterally fromwithin said attaching zone.

all

6. Apparatus for-attaching a tubular terminal to an end of a wire, areciprocable rod having a counter-bored end formedto receive and injectthe terminal axially in one direction into anflattaching zone, a stopcooperable with the terminalto insure proper insertion of the terminalwithin said counter-bored rod end, means for releasing said stop topermit said rod to advance the terminal into said zone, wire guidescooperable with the injected terminal to definitely position the latterwithin said zone, and a set of tools cooperable with the terminal withinsaid. zone to frictionally hold the terminal while said rod is beingretracted and to thereafter clamp said terminal to the end of a wireinserted through said guides.

7. Apparatus for attaching a tubular terminal to an end 'of a wire, areciprocable rod having an end formed to inject the terminal axially inone direction into an attaching zone, a stop cooperable with theterminal to insure proper cooperation of the terminal with the rod,means for releasing said stop to cause said rod to advance the terminalinto said zone, wire guides cooperable with the injected terminal todefinitely position the latter within said zone, a set of toolscooperable With the terminal within said zone to frictionally hold theterminal while said rod is being retracted and to thereafter clamp saidterminals to the end of a wire inserted through said guides, and aknockout for positively removing the wire and terminal assemblagelaterally from within said zone.

8. Apparatus for attaching successive individual tubular terminals toends of stranded wires, a reciprocable rod formed to inject eachterminal in one direction into an attaching zone, a stop cooperable witheach terminal to insure proper coaction with said rod, means forreleasing said stop to cause said rod to advance the terminal into saidzone, a wire strand gathering guide for conducting the gathered wire endinto the terminal within said zone, tools cooperable with the terminalwithin said zone to frictionally hold said terminal in fixed position 1while said rod is being retracted and While the stranded wire end isbeing threaded into the held terminal in said zone, and means foractuating said tools to clamp the terminal to said wire end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,340,360 Alden Feb. 1, 1944

